Dictaphone recorder and reproducer.



APPLIUATIOI FILED JULY 28,1910.

Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

THOMAS H. MACDONALD, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT,

ASSIGNOR- TO AMERICAN GRAPHOPHONE COMPANY, OF BRIDGEBORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

DIC'I'APHONE RECORDER AND REPRODUCER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

llatented se als, 191 1.

Application filed July 28 1910. Serial No. 574,314.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l. THOMAS H. MACDON- ALD, of Bridgeport, Connecticut. have invented a new and useful Improved Dicta- 5 phone Recorder and 'Repmducer, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to talking machines designed for dictation purposes Where it is desirable to have the recorder and the reprodueer combined in a single instrument, to the end that the operator may readil shift from recording to reproducing, or vice versa, and more particularly the invention relates to the recording and reproducing element, or, as it is now tecl'inically known in the art, the combined recorder and reprolducer. In this art, it is recognized that the recording device should be lighter than the reproducing device, or, to express it. another Way, that the recording device should exert less pressure upon the record than does the reproducing device. It has. therefore, been proposed to make the rectuder-reprpducer with a single diaphragm having a record ing stylus and a reproducing stylus mounted thereon and to provide means for shifting the reeorderq'eproduoer so as to bring either one of the styles into operative relation with the record at will. It has also heen proposed to mount a weight directly upon the recorder-reprodncer and fixedly secured thereto. the relation of the parts being such .that when the recorder-reproducer is aaexerts a greater pressure through the style upon the record than it does when the re corder-repi'oducer is adjusted into record ing position.

Inmy application Serial No. 450,811, filed August 29, 1908, I have'shown and desinrilied, among other things, a recorder-re producer a'ving a single diaphragm provided'with h recording and a reproducing style and means for shifting the recorder; reproduce!" so as to bring either style into operative relation with the record; and I have shown, cooperating with such recorderreproducer, a weight mounted independent of the record-er-reproducer and, therefore, independent of the p with means for addin the weight to the reooi'der-reprodueer, an hence a so to'the diajusted int/0 reproducing position the weight diaphragm mounting",

phragm, when the instrument is in reproducing position, and removing the weight therefrom when the instri'unent is in record: inn position.

My present invention is an improvement on thatv shown in my said application and it consists, generally speaking. in a combined recorder and reproducer having a single dia phragm with two stylus points secured thereto and a weight pivotally mounted directly upon the recorder-reproducer (instead of independent thereof as in my former application), with means for relieving the recordcr-reproducer of the greater part of the weight when the instrument is in recording position and for applying the entire weight to the recorder-reproducer when the same is in reproducing position.

More specifically stated, the invention consists of a combined recorder-reprodllcer of the character last described with a weight having its main portion located approximately over the recording and reproducing styles and provided with a plurality of arms connected by a suitable pivot. to the recorder-re noducer at or near the neck portion thereof.

I have shown thejnvention in the accompanying drawings, in whic-h-- Figure 1 is a vertical section through the carriage of an ordinary dictating graphophone showing the combined recorder-reproducer in reproducing position: and Fig. 2 is a substantial horizontal section through the combined recorder and reproducer and its connecting parts.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate like parts, 1 is a supporting standard, 2 is a horizontal guide rod, 3 is a guide arm carrying the plunger 4 and partial nut 5 for engaging feed screw 6. A ring 7 enters the cut-away portion of the feed nut- 5 and is supported on feed screw 6 and operated by lower 9. -The ring 7 has two cut-away parts or faces 9 and 10 with a nose 11 at the junction of said parts. When the nose 11 bears on the plunger 4, it depresses it and disconnects the not from the feed serew, but when either of the parts 10 or 11 is opposite the cut-away portion in" the nut 5, the spring plunger '4 t rows the not into engagement with the feed screw 6 and the machine is operated thereby, all as shown and described in my U. S. Letters Patent 569,290, dated October 13, 1896.

The casing 12 of the carriage has a tubular piece 13 securedthereto by flan e 15, and receiving the tube of the mouth p1ece-at its reduced end 14. Tube 16 telescopes within the tube 13 and is capable of longitudinal movement with relation thereto. Thfe trunnion tube 17 is pivoted within the tube 16 by pivot pin 1? while the recorder-reproduce! 19 is secured to the inner end of the trunnion tube 17 by the horizontal pin 20 which permits the recorder-reproducer to move up and down on said pivot. A set screw 21 passes up through the bottom wall of the fixed tube 13 and through the longitudinal slot 22 (if the telescoping tube 16. thus permitting the telescoping tube 1fi,to have free longitudinal movement, while the pin 21, by reason of its engagement in the slot 22, prevents any axial or turning movement of the tube 16. The diaphragm 23 has a recording style 24. and a reproducing style 23 in position to oj'ieratively engage the record 26. The diaphragm mounting consists of a piece. preferably of metal. having a tubular opening 19' formed therein with the diaphragm secured opposite one end oi said opening in the usual or any suitable manner. said mounting, as previously described. being carried on the transverse pivot. 20. The said mounting, the diaphragm. and the two styles 24 and 25 together constitute the recorder-reproducer as a whole. A linlr 21' is pivoted to the ring 7 at the nose 1'! and 1.. provided with a slot 28 engaging a horizontal pin 29 on the telescoping tube 16. the link 27 and pin 29 being held in engagement 1 by spring 30 mounted within tubular part 31 pivoted at 32 to the casing 12 and secured at its lower end by pivot and slot engagement to the link 27. I

Referring to the pin 21,(Fig. 1), the same is in a, position to coiiperate with a cam face 38 having on the opposite sides thereof two seats39 and 40. Then the pin is in the seat 40, the reproducing point is in operative relation with the record; when the ram face 38 rests upon the pin 21 the recorder-v reproducer is lifted from the record so thatneither style contacts therewith: and when the pin 21 is in the-seat 39 the recording style 24h: in operative relation with tho 1 record.

As thus far descr bed the construction is the same asthat shown. described and claimed in my aforesaid appliration Serial resides inthe novel manner of mormtingthe weight. The weight. in the present instance consists of the part 33 and its rearwardly extending arms. 34, 34. which arms instead Ofbein'g pivoted to the name of the ma- The :ssential difference be chine independently ofithe recordcr-i'eproducer orthe diaphragm mounting, are pi oted directly upon the recorder-reprrulm-er or diaphragm mounting. thereby sinu'ilii'ying the cousl'ructionand, as experience has proved, producing equal if not better result. As in the construction ot'niy aforesaid application, the weight is provided with a nose 36 adapted to engage the adjacent seat 37 in the casing 12.

The operation will be understood by referring to Fig. 1, where the parts are shown in reprodiioing position. When the lever 8 is adjusted into vertical position. the link 27 will throw the telescopic tube 16 forward and with it the reeorder-rcproducer until the cam 38 of the recordcr-reproducer rests upon the pin 21, thus elevating the reproducing style from the record and. of course. elevating the weight :53, S-t. 34. The continued shifting of the lever from the vertical position to the left in Fig. 1 will advance. the parts to thepoint where the nose-36 will; engage the seat 37 in the frame 12, while the.-

seat 5-39 of the recorder-rcproducer will come opposite the pin 2t, thus permitting the.

reeordiw-reproduoer to descend. bringing the recording style 24 into contact with the reeord. liv shit" ing the lever 8 in the reverse direction. tie reverse move 'nent will.- he scoured. thus withdrawing the nme '16 of the weight 33, from the srat 37 and permitting the parts to return into the position shown in Fig. 1. Ti will thus be seen that the greater and most ctlective portion of the weight is withdrawn from the rccorder-reprodimer when the same is in recording position, but is returned to the rerorder-reprodueer when in reproducing" position. thus automatically obtaining the desired result. "v17", a. recorder that is comparativcly light and a reproducer thatais qomparatively heavy.

is claimed is:

1. In a sound recording and reproducing machine. an instrument comprising a single diaphragm and a mounting therefor, two stylus points mounted upon said diaphragm one for recording and the other for reprodueing, in combination with a weight Having thus described my invention. what mounted directly upon the diaphra mv mounting and wholly supported thereby during the reproducing operation and means other than the-diaphragm mounting for supporting a portion of the weight for the. recording operation and for returningit to.

diaphragm mounting for the repro-' the ducmg operation.

2. In a sound recording and reproducing machine. a combined recorder and reprqducer, a carriage, pivotal connections between said recorder and reproducer and the carriage, a weight pivoted directly upon the recorder-reprodueer ad acent to the pivot point of the latter and supported wholly specification in the presence of two subupon the recorder-reprdducer when in repro scribing witnesses. ducing position, and means withdrawing a portion of said weight from the recorder- PHOMAS MACDONALD 5 reproducer when the parts are ill recording Witnesses:

position. EDNA THORPE, In testimony whereof I have signed this A. B. KEOUGH. 

